Kitbuqa

Kitbuqa (1197-1260) was a general of the Mongol Empire Ilkhanate who commanded their army in their war against the Mameluke Empire. He was beheaded in the Battle of Ain Jalut.

Biography
Kitbuqa Noyan was of Naiman Turkic descent, and was a Nestorian Christian. In 1252 he conquered the Ismail Nizaris of Persia and assisted in the 1258 conquest of Baghdad from the Abbasid Caliphate, before proceeding to lead the 1260 invasion of Syria and Palestine. He captured Sidon from Julian Grenier, a Jerusalemite vassal, in 1260 before proceeding to launch an attack on Mameluke Egypt. But the majority of Mongol armies moved back home when Mongke Khan died, enabling the Mamelukes to all but annihilate Kitbuqa's army in the Battle of Ain Jalut. Kitbuqa was beheaded and his army lost.